Problem, Solution
by Shinjite Florana
Summary: Every girl loves to be fawned over, but if there is such a thing as to much, it’s name is Sanji. Nami needs to make him tone it down a bit. LuffyXNami oneshort edit,Continuation He had a uncanny gift see through stone, reach through walls to dry her tears
1. Problem, Solution

Gomenasi, I don't even really watch One Piece all that much, but after reading a few random LuffyXNami fics, I just saw this happen in my mind. So I wrote it out. Well, yeah… Please tell me what ya think.

Problem, Solution

"-beautiful angel, your eyes make the stars weep and the heavens themselves shed tears in their jealousy!" Sanji gazed at Nami, his eyes in full love-love mode.

Nami sighed. This had to end. "I'm sorry, Sanji."

The well-dressed man looked confused. "Whatever for? You haven't done anything wrong, Nami-swa-"

"No, See…" Nami looked up at him, her eyes slightly apologetic. "See, at first it was flattering but…I'm going to have to ask you to stop that."

The cook stood quite still, still uncomprehending. "Stop what?"

"The poems. The flattery. Every time I talk to you, that's all I hear." Nami looked at him, her eyes annoyed. She softened when his jaw hit the ground and tears beaded at his eyes. "Don't get me wrong, you wouldn't be you if you didn't throw a compliment my way now and again, but…could you keep it to a minimum? It's not that I don't appreciate it, but…" Nami didn't know what else to add. It had been bugging her for weeks now, and she had to get it off her chest, even if it meant hurting him. Don't get her wrong, she liked him as a friend, but all things in moderation.

Sanji picked up his jaw from the floor and set it right. He folded his arms and closed his eyes, regaining his composer. "I'm sorry, my Nami-swan, but I cannot do that."

Nami looked at him, her brows furrowing. "Why not?"

"I have made a vow." He held up a finger and opened his eyes to look at her. "Until such a horrible time may befall me as you are claimed by another man, I shall forever pursue you!" Each would he said was serous and dripping with passion.

Nami sighed a second time. Things could never be easy, could they? Nami brooded silently for a few moments, an expression of defeat on her face.

It was then that the idea hit her. At first she rejected it immediately. 'Baka!' she told herself. 'What a stupid idea…' …and yet…

She considered it. Well, he probably wouldn't take it seriously. And it was _him_ she was talking about. A smirk lit her face and she looked back up at the chef in front of her. "So, all I have to be is be "claimed" by another man?"

Sanji didn't respond but looked at her with wide, blank eyes. "Nami, what do you intend to-"

"Oi, Luffy!" Nami called. Sanji's curly eyebrow rose almost clear off his head, his cigarette falling to the ground as his mouth gaped.

"Yeah?" Luffy turned from his seat at the head of the ship and looked intently at his navigator.

"You wanna be my "claimed" man?" Nami looked at him with a casual expression. Luffy stared back.

His face curved in consideration a moment before he smiled the huge smile only he could. "Ok!" He said turning back to the ocean.

Nami walked past Sanji and into the cabin, still smiling. The cook hadn't moved from the spot. He seemed frozen.

Zoro peaked out from under closed eyes, leaning against the cabin wall. "Hey, love cook, you ok?"

"NOOO!"

* * *

Neh. I didn't know how to phrase Nami's question to Luffy, First I had the juvenile term 'boyfriend', but it just made it sound so...-shivers- neh. Confesstions68 suggested this one, (thanks Con-onee-san!) and I believe it's at least better then what I had. Oh well, I know Nami was a little OOC, but I though it was funny, nonetheless. Reviews and flames welcome!


	2. Didn't See that Coming

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. …Heck, I don't own anything. --' …go read your stupid fanfic, people… …-sniff-…

Problem, Solution (continued)

"Sanjiii! Feed meee!" Luffy wined loudly as he barged into the kitchen.

"Ok! Geez, impatient, baka Captain…" Sanji grumbled as he walked into the kitchen. Zoro entered the galley followed by the rest of the crew who took their seats at the table in preparation of the coming meal. The scents of sizzling meat and other cooking food wafted around them, making Luffy drool.

"Ok! It's ready!" Sanji basically danced over to serve Robin and Nami before seating himself. The rest of the crew scrambled for food, trying to eat what they could grab before Luffy's greedy (and stretchy) hands got there first.

Luffy ate as he always did, with no manners and no boundaries to what food _was_ his and what was _**not**_ his. He stretched his arms to snatch food off his nakama's plates and shove it in his over stuffed mouth, the crew yelling their protest but trying to keep up conversations at the same time.

Nami was lightly smiling as she chatted with Robin, who was sitting next to her, when her captain decided the freshly baked bun on her plate was his next unsuspecting morsel. Nami's head turned and watched it happen in slow motion. The rubber man's arm reached toward her plate and the cat burglar responded with her first instinct, restraining him with the weapon she had in hand at the time.

Yes, Nami stabbed his hand down with a fork.

"OWWW! Nami, what was that for!?" Luffy cried as he tried to pull his hand back. Nami realized what she had done in a few seconds and pulled her fork back, letting the young man retrieve and cradle his injured hand.

Nami's brows furrowed. "What do you mean what am I doing? You were trying to steal my food!"

Luffy blinked at her, along with the rest of the crew. Having stopped eating themselves, they turned from Luffy to Nami, watching the exchange.

"But I steal everybody's food!"

"Ha! So you admit it!" Zoro stood, pointing a finger accusingly at his Captain. Franky and Ussop, who were sitting on either side of him, absentmindedly raised a hand to his shoulders and pushed him back down into his chair. "Oi! What-" Zoro looked from Ussop to Franky. They were both staring intently at Nami and Luffy. Grumbling he went back to just watching them, obviously not allowed to engage.

"I don't care what you do with the others food, but you can't touch mine!" Little 'Oi!'s, 'Hey!'s and '_What_?!'s echoed around the table at her response, but other then that and a few disapproving looks, they did not react directly.

"Huh? Why not?" Luffy looked at her in incomprehension. Why couldn't he steal from her plate? What was different about her from his other nakama? She wasn't anything special…right? Luffy surprised himself with the doubt that popped into his head.

Nami was determined to keep her food. And not just this time, but to stop him from stealing from her plate ever again. She wasn't a fan of eating like a half starved maniac at every meal. She would much rather take her time eating, maybe even actually taste the food Sanji took the effort to prepare them.

Well, intentions are all well and good, but to put in practice, Nami had to think quickly. She had to find an answer to the question he just asked. "Why?" One could almost hear the gears turn in her head, or see the light bulb switch on above her head. She smiled devilishly at him and responded, "Because you're my claimed guy, remember? You have to be respectful of your gal." her tone was matter-o-factly.

Luffy's confused expression only increased for a few moments before he actually realized what she was talking about. His face darkened. It had been a few days since the incident when Nami, in an attempt to dampen Sanji's suffocating love, had asked Luffy to "claim" her, and therefore make her unable to receive some of Sanji's more annoying love-love habits. Like his daily 15 minuet proclamations of love, and his 30 minuet checkups on her to see if she "needed anything". (Believe me, it got really annoying, really quick)

Since then, Nami had gently reminded him whenever he was caught in one of his more annoying practices that she "didn't think Luffy would approve". With her new tactic, she had developed a system where she could still be waited on hand and foot without the hold ups that he normally drenched her in. Seeing as the plan had turned out so successful, why not see if she could get more out of it?

Luffy stood looking at her with something between surprise and anger. "Hey! You tricked me!"

"Tricked you?" Nami smiled at his indifference. "I did no such thing. I asked and you accepted. I'm yours, your 'claimed' girl, so you better start treating me like one." She waved a finger at him. "And that means that my food is just that, _mine_!" As the Navigator actually thought about it, this wasn't necessarily true. Most couples allowed the other to steal a bite now and then from each other's plate, but considering _Luffy _into the factor changed things in her opinion. Luffy stole food from anyone, and she was quite sure he didn't know what a 'bit' meant when concerning food, so it should have the reverse effect for him. Personally, she thought her logic worked out quite well

Monkey D. Luffy was never considered 'sharp'. Some, if not most, considered him to be quite the opposite. And where in many aspects this could be regarded as true, a few things could not. Luffy was intelligent in mysterious ways, the ways of a child. Untainted by the unclean world, Luffy had insight into aspects of life that a normal person would not even be able to purely fathom.

Luffy was also a very good actor. If someone were to say that nothing bothered him, they would be wrong. If they were to say that he always wore a smile, they would be right. Luffy found out at a young age that emotions are dangerously contagious. If one person loses hope, and there is not firm determination to counter it, depression catches like wild fire. Luffy was not oblivious to the feeling of worry, to sadness or grief, he knew these feelings, his skills of empathy far surpassing most others. But does he show it? Does he ever stop believing? No. One small candle can lighten the thickest darkness.

It is in this way that he is the smartest idiot that the world has come to know. Luffy could tell what Nami was doing. She was using their sudden 'relationship' to her advantage. Well, that's just fine. She gets a few perks? Then so does he.

"Ok Nami," Luffy smiled at her. Not grinned, he _smiled_. It was the closest thing to a sneer that Nami had ever seen his lips curve into. "Your right, I should start treating you like my girl." He leaned forward, his hands on the table and a familiar glint in his eyes, the one she saw whenever he was about to jump into another adventure. "So, let's go on a date."

Nami blinked at him, shocked. Did he just say what she thought he did? Did he even know what a 'date' was? She turned her head to look at her crew. They wore the same shell-shocked expression as her. They all knew about the little extreme step that Nami had taken with Luffy in accordance to Sanji, but nothing had changed between the Navigator and Capitan. It wasn't real in that way, as the crew saw it. But now, Luffy was apparently acting on it. Acting on it in a very unexpected way.

"W-what?" Nami looked at him as he just stared intensely back, the smile still on his face. "You can't be serous…" He didn't break eye contact. Nami gulped "W-what, right now?!"

"Aa!" Luffy stood up strait, answering her as his smile turned into more of a grin.

Nami stood, suddenly unsure of his actions. "Luffi-ieeeeEEEEH!"

The rubber man had interrupted her by laughing and stretching an arm across the table, curling it around her waist and pulling her to him as he raced out of the door and out onto the deck. "Come on Nami!" Supper sat unfinished as the rest of the crew rushed to follow them.

"Oi, Luffy! You shitty Captain, put my Nami-swan down!" Sanji was the first on deck.

Luffy turned to him. Nami was still held firmly at his side. She leaned against him as her head swam, trying to regain her suddenly off kilter sense of balance. "Ah, she's not yours! She's mine! Shishisshi" He snickered.

Nami had finally regained her footing and blinked a few times before raising her head and looking up at the chuckling face of her Captain. A vein bulged in her forehead as her teeth set and eyes narrowed. Her hand slowly lifted in the air.

"Shishishi…hey guys, what are you looking at?" The crew had their eyes glued to something adjacent to him. Ussop's legs started shaking as he pointed. Luffy followed the direction of his finger-

-right into Nami's fist.

"Kyaaa! Nami! Why'd you hit me!?" Luffy grabbed his bludgeoned head with one hand, his other arm not released from her waist.

"Why?! Don't grab me like that, baka!" She tried to pull away only to be held firmly in place. She blinked in surprise before her gaze lowered to see the arm around her hips. Nami felt the blush creep up upon her before she could stop it. She was…really close to him. Did he even realize it? He was still whining in pain and rubbing his injured head. Did he even know that he had her pressed up against himself like this?

Nami shook her head vigorously. This was _Luffy_! The baka captain that would believe anything! The one that always dragged them off into dangerous adventures and almost got them all killed. The one who befriended anyone, who could trust anyone, who saved her from Arlong, beating the crap out of him just for the simple fact that he made her cry. Her nakama and first friend, her savor, her hero, her- WHAT?!

Nami's eyes widened as she realized the path her thoughts had taken. What the hell was wrong with her?! The navigator closed her eyes tightly, trying to block out her spinning thoughts. She would stop thinking about Luffy right now. He was just an idiot. She'd open her eyes on three, and wouldn't even acknowledge him. Ok. One, two, …three!

"Nami? Daijoubu?"

Easier said then done. Much easier.

Luffy was inches away from her face, peering down at her with concerned eyes and a furrowed brow. His head was tilted at an incredibly cute angle, and his eyes looked a lot different up close. Nami heard a voice in her head shriek.

**What are you doing?! This is **_**Luffy**_**! Monkey D. **_**Luffy!!**_

For some reason, it didn't quite matter. It was background noise. Unimportant. What was important was the gravity that was pulling her as she looked up at him. She couldn't tare her gaze away. Something in his eyes changed. His face relaxed. But his eyes…what had altered in them? They couldn't have been this transfixing before. She felt like she was falling into them, they were much too deep for the eyes of her foolish captain. These eyes weren't the eyes of Luffy, the childish, naïveté, annoying boy of seventeen; these were the eyes of the King of the Pirates.

The gaze was intense, and Nami could suddenly feel heated breath on her face. When had they moved closer? But…she wanted to get closer. She needed to. She had to look deeper into theses suddenly captivating eyes of his.

The moment lasted forever, and no one caught it in the three seconds it took place. Everything in life comes to an end, and in this instance it came in an abrupt, and in Luffy's case, painful, finish.

"Oi, shitty captain, listen to Nami-san!" Sanji really did have a hard kick. Thank God that our favorite hyperactive rubber man was just that, rubber.

Luffy was ripped from Nami's side, and the smart (in this particular decision) boy chose to let go of the orange haired girl rather then bring her along on his 'smashing' ride to the splitter-infusing wooden floor of the deck. Ah, Luffy's face plastered against his own deck. Good times, good times.

Nami tried to collect herself. She caught her breath that had sometime become irregular. Her body shivered as she tried to shake off the feeling that had been coursing through her only moments ago. …Great, now she couldn't stop shaking. If he was the one who ate the gomu gomu fruit, why was it her who felt like her legs were made of rubber?

'Come on Nami, get a hold of yourself!' Nami mentally slapped herself. She looked over at the new rug known as Luffy who at the moment was being brutally stomped on by the rug's chef.

"What the hell were you thinking?! Grabbing a lady like that…" the cook chided, grinding the cigarette between his teeth.

As fascinating a spectacle as Nami always found it when Luffy was being beat up by someone other then herself, she decided that the sooner this was over, the quicker she could get into a room by herself and try and sort through the cluttered mess that was her current thoughts.

"Sanj-kun," He looked up at her and she offered him a weak smile. "Arigato." The effect was as expected, as the man flitted around her, swooning and spouting off poetry.

Luffy recovered from his little identity shift of being a rug, and sat up. He blinked a few times to clear his vision. The display of Nami being fawned over met his blurry eyes. For a quick, unnoticed moment, an unidentifiable emotion flashed across his face before it smoothed back into it's blank expression. He picked himself up and dusted off his jeans.

Nami raised her hand and fanned it lightly in front of her, an attempt at a gentle smile on her lips. "Please, Sanji-kun, Luffy is right there."

Sanji froze for an instant as his heart-shaped eyes cracked in half. He stood, determined. "He doesn't care!" the chef pointed an accusing finger at the straw-hat wearing boy.

"Ah! Yeah I do!" Luffy responded, suddenly brought back into the conversation. "Oh, and that reminds me," Nami found her wrist suddenly in the grip of her captain…again. "We were going on a date, right?"

"Ah? Luffy- GAH! Not again, Luffy, baka, put me- AH!!" before the rest of the crew could react, before the happenings in front of them actually clicked, Nami was swept over the edge of the docked ship and into the packed and twisting streets of the summer island they where anchored at.

Not sure how I liked this continuation is turning out but...Neh. I'm tiring to stick with my Romance/Comedy theme, though I always seem to stick some Adventure and Angst in my stories to, for flavor, let's say.

So far, not much of the rest of the crew and don't get your hopes up all to soon. I've barely mastered (I know, hardly, but give some credit for trying) Nami and Luffy's personalities and I'm struggling with making Sanji act the way I want him to.

Well, enough of the stuff that nobody reads, Thank you for your time reading this chapter, and Happy Easter! -


	3. Never Let You Down

Disclaimer: Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Zoro, and all the other characters in One Piece aren't mine

Disclaimer: Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Zoro, and all the other characters in One Piece aren't mine. Hell, D isn't even mine. --' (Ello, Con Onee-san!)

Problem, Solution

Ch. 3 Never let you down

"Luffy…" Sanji growled in a dangerous tone, his fist clenched tightly in front of him, a tick above his eye. "I'm…going to…KILL YOU!" the infuriated man placed a foot on the ships railing, about to pounce off it and into the crowded streets where his Captain had just run off with his princess. (Himself the prince, of course)

Alas, the shining Prince was not met with rushing wind through his golden locks and then the firm ground underneath him; instead his face abruptly smashed into the sword sheath that found it's way directly in his path. Sanji leaned back, both hands gripping tightly over his most likely broken nose, practically growling at the green haired man who was calmly situating his sheath back in his belt.

"You shity bastard! What the Hell are you doing?!" Sanji screamed at him, the force of his outburst spraying saliva all over the swordsman.

With a mixture of disgust and irritation he wiped his hand over his face and turned to the cook. "I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"WHAT?!" Sanji fumed "I must go get my Nami-san back! What kind of a man are you to let a women be kidnapped like that!"

"…_Kidnapped_." his look was skeptical.

"Yes, _kidnapped_!" the blond replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"…By…Luffy"

"Yes!"

"…And you're worried for Nami."

"YES!"

"…From _Luffy_? Or are you afraid you can't compete with his 'charm' ?"

"THAT'S IT! You wanna fight, urchin head?"

"Urchin head? Nice to see your branching out there, curly brow." Both were inches away from each other's faces, ready to strangle each other.

CONK!

Both fell to the floor with growing red bulges on their heads. The rest of the crew followed their eyes to meet a quite placid looking Robin standing above them. She blinked at them. "Navigator-san wasn't here to do it."

"Ahh…" they all bobbed there heads in recognition.

-oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO-¡bubbles!-OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo-

"Put-me-down, Put-me-down, Put-me-down!"

"Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow…"

Now, it will not be said that it was a…_common_ site that was displaying itself in the crowded streets of Mannen'Yuki. The bustling town was more of a city, being a frequent resort for the travelers of the seas. They were impartial to pirates, seeing as half their customers were of that verity, but that didn't mean that they would not arrest one if he/she were caught breaking their laws. It also didn't mean that the marines did not post wanted posters, although they were usually ignored. So it was not for their high status of bounties were the pair being gawked at. It was quite a different reason why the two turned a lot of heads with their mild scandal.

Luffy had a struggling Nami in his arms, attempting to make his way down the packed streets as the girl tosses and turned in his grasp. The combination of her constant struggles and the captain not wanting to hurt his nakama through restraining her, it was a game of shifting from one carrying position to another. Over his shoulder, swung to his back, flipped deftly to be carried bridal style, only to be twirled around to piggy-back him again.

Nami knew her struggles were coming up blank. She felt his hands move over her, twisting and turning her to keep her aloft in his arms. Grasping her shoulders, swinging her leg to hook under her thighs, an arm scooping firmly but gently about her waist to pull her back. She was never in one place long enough to make a decent amount of difficulty for him. As soon as she was placed in a new position she was moved, her standstills few and body in a constant state on motion.

The cartographer sighed, and went limp in his arms. Her current position was that of an awkward transition between being held bridal style and thrown over his shoulder. Being held like small child throwing a tantrum made Nami visibly sag. She looked with dull, melancholy eyes over her captain's shoulder, viewing the many onlookers and site-seers, some actually snapping pictures of the scene as the crowd pushed by. Her hands hung limply and uncomfortably down his back.

"Umm…are you, uh, ok…?" Nami blinked as she realized the young woman from the bunching crowd walking behind them was talking to her. She seemed only a few years younger then herself. Nami gave a tired smile and raised a hand in reassurance. "I'm fine. Just being kidnapped by my Captain, the usual."

She went distinctly pale at Nami's reply. "K-kidnapped? D-do you need help?" the girl seemed flustered by her senior's words and demeanor about the situation.

"Oh, no, nothing like _that_!" the orange haired girl fanned her hand, as if blowing away the suggestion, the air of sarcasm leaving her voice almost entirely. "Luffy's not _that_ kind of captain!" Nami shook her head at the mere suggestion. Thinking about it, despite all the idiot's faults, there were a lot worse captains out there. To get him as her captain was really a blessing in disguise…sort of… (She couldn't let herself admit to it _entirely_.)

The Navigator decided the moment was right to walk on her own, and went completely limp in his grasp. Luffy only took three more steps before stopping. The jammed street's occupants almost ran into him, grumbling their complaints before two small merging lanes were created around them, adjusting for the traffic's passage.

"Oi, Nami?" He attempted to turn to see her face but her current position, slumped over his shoulder, wouldn't allow it. "Nami?" he jostled her gently with his arm that was cupped about her waist. "Oi, Nami!! Are you alive?" Luffy pulled the girl off him and held her out in front of him by her shoulders, Nami swaying limply like a held cat. But that wasn't the only distinctly feline aspect about her. Her eyes were narrowed at him and a low hiss was escaping her unmoving lips. The killing intent radiating off her was suffocating. Passerbies of the crowd were stopped in their tracks.

Luffy's pupils shrunk to the size of pinheads. Luffy, the to be 'King of the Pirates', feared nothing. Nothing but his navigator's wrath, and never had it been so fierce.

Luffy gingerly set Nami to the ground, her eyes hidden under the shade of her bangs. As soon as she was placed, he drew his hands back to himself, slowly tip toeing backwards, attempting to escape the pain he knew was coming.

"_Luffy_…!" She growled the name, holding a fist up clenched tight enough to make her knuckles white. At this the man turned and started running for his life-

-Or he would have, had Nami's hand not flicked out and grabbed the back of his collar, making the Strawhat just franticly kick up dirt. She swift-kicked his legs out from under him and Luffy fell to his stomach with an "Oof."

"Death…" Nami's eyes were wide, her hand drawing the struggling Luffy toward herself. He clawed at the ground, his arms stretching as he was pulled back, his face the epitome of fright.

"Oi! Pirates!" Nami changed back into her normal persona, her expression blank as she turned to the female police officer pushing through the crowd towards them.

'I thought they were impartial to pirate's here…' The orange haired woman thought, confusion furrowing her brow as Luffy wreathed, still trying to rip from her grasp.

"Break it up you too! You're causing a disturbance!" She finally stopped in front of them both and her attractive yet plain face scowled down at the pair. "You guys wanna start something, start if off the road! There are people trying to move around here, ok?"

"Oh, sorry." Nami stood, dusting herself off, and by default releasing a relived pirate captain.

The officer's eyes darted back from one to the other. "Hey, have I seen you two before?"

At this moment, Luffy decided to stand and he popped up from the dusty ground to hold a hand out to the new stranger, ever friendly, even to possible enemies. "Nope, I don't think so!" His world famous grin was plastered on his face as he greeted, "Hi, I'm Monkey D. Luffy. Thanks for saving me!" He laughed. "Nami was gunna kill me!"

Said girl gave him a glare. He'd pay dearly later.

The woman blinked. "Luffy? A-as in _the_ Straw Hat Luffy?" she gasped and pointed at him. "You're Mugiwara Luffy!"

A sigh was heard. "Mou, Luffy. You draw too much attention to yourself." Nami scolded him for his reputation.

The woman's accusing finger moved to Nami. "And you're Dorobou Neko, Nami!"

Luffy looked at Nami, then smiled. "Hey Nami, you _do_ look like a kitty cat!" He suddenly found a foot in his face, pushing him dangerously off balance.

"Shut up, you Monkey." She replied in an annoyed voice.

The policewoman just watched, mouth agape.

"But I like kitties!" he tried to justify.

"Luffy, you'd eat 'kitties'." Nami shot back, referring to the wild and dangerous cats found along their travels, glaring as he removed her foot from his face.

"Those weren't kitties! They were _big_ kitties! The little ones are cute and cuddly and-"

"Delicious?" Nami suggested.

Luffy gave a rare glare. "Nami, that's sick."

She balked. "_I'm_ sick-!"

"Besides." He cut off her retort, waving his hand as if blowing away the unimportant comment. "I'd never eat you, Nami. Just like Chopper, you're Nakama."

Nami looked at him like he had just sprouted a second head. He stood with his arms crossed in a serious way, eyes closed, as if letting her absorb this very important information.

"Um…"

They both turned to the forgotten law enforcer. "Could you…?" she gestured to the side of the road as everyone on the street was now glaring at them.

"Oops…"

"Gomen, will get off the road." Nami gave an embarrassed smile as she grabbed Luffy's hand and dragged him to the street edge.

"Mou, Luffy. You always get us into trouble." Nami murmured to her captain once they pressed themselves against a building's wall. Luffy looked at her as she scolded him. "Really, you always act so rashly, just grabbing and running off with me like that…" As Nami trailed off, she noticed her captain was being oddly silent next to her. "Luffy?" she cocked her head and looked at him.

His head was bent down, and she couldn't see his expression correctly. Had something she said to him gotten to him? But she always ranted at him like that. She didn't want to _hurt_ him, not really. She just complained about his little faults for the sake of something to complain about. She wouldn't change him in any way. (well, not much, anyway.) "Luffy?" she said a little quieter. "What's wrong?"

She raised a hand and tipped his hat back to better look at his face. He looked up at her with his normal blank, wide-eyed expression. Nami blinked. Why was he being so quiet? He looked relatively normal…normal for _Luffy_…

His gaze shifted down again and Nami followed it with her own. She stared down at a pair of hands. Their hands. They were still _holding_ hands. Nami's eyes grew wide as she watched her thumb run gently over the back of Luffy's loosely clasped hand. The action was involuntary. The feel of his slightly rubbery skin made her heart flutter and her cheeks stain red.

WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HER?!

Nami snatched her hand back and locked startled eyes with Luffy. He stared back blankly. He hadn't really minded the contact. In fact, he liked the feeling he got when Nami held his hand like that. It made his heart speed up like at the beginning of an adventure, and his mind reel like he was seeing a magnificent view, he even had trouble breathing properly, the feeling of seeing something truly 'breathtaking'. Of course, lately, he had always been feeling like that around her, and being Luffy, he didn't question the feeling, he just enjoyed it. Also, her skin was nice and smooth. Although his was similar, Luffy barely remembered what normal skin felt like. Nami's felt nice.

Nami could _feel_ the silence between them. Something was wrong with his eyes. They weren't looking _at_ her. They were looking _**into**_ her. She could feel them boreing in, inviting her to drown in his own liquid onyx orbs.

No, no, _no_! This had to be wrong no matter how right it felt. Her captain? Luffy? It was _Luffy_! How could she fall in- No! She would not! That was it; she just wouldn't. So there. Try and get her now, affection, just try.

"Che, baka…" she murmured, pulling her eyes from his. In a pitiful attempt to cover up her mild meltdown, she hurriedly dropped a mental curtain hiding her broken walls. It was difficult to fathom, trying to understand how with a simple look he was able to tare down the walls that it took her years to erect. Ever since the first day she saw him. Just his presence hurried the erosion of the stone. All her defenses, all her self-protection just seemed to dematerialize under his gaze. Twice this had happened just today. Once while she was on the boat, and again, just now. The one and only time had she let him see her fully, without all her walls, without all her shadows, the time she pulled her bloodied body from the darkness and asked for his aide. _"Luffy"_ she could still hear herself. _"Help me…"_

After that, she was weary of his uncanny ability to see through stone, to reach through walls to wipe away her tears. Now, she always had a fall back, a plan 'B'. Something to hide her from him while she hurriedly rebuilt her walls. But each time, the wall became weaker, and each time she had less willpower to barricade herself in.

Before Luffy, she was in a small, dark, lightless prison. Wall after wall after wall barricaded her in. There were no windows, there was no sun. But it had crumbled, shattered for the first time under his gaze and she had seen light for the fist time in over seven years. When she rebuilt it she deiced to add a window and a door, though they were always closed and locked tight, Nami had the ability to leave. All she needed was the willpower.

Nami pushed herself off the wall she had been leaning ageist and began walking. Luffy watched her back, confused. Just now he watched a lifetime of emotions pass through her eyes. They swiftly swept across her face one by one, and then, nothing. She had blocked him out again. After a while he followed, walking silently behind her, his hands clasped behind his head.

-oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO-¡bubbles!-OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo-

The tension between them slowly subsided as time went by; silent in it's passing as they walked. Luffy even started humming after a few minuets. That familiar sensation filled his body again. He really liked being around Nami, even if she did hit him a lot and yell at him, too. The feeling she gave him always made up for it. 'And she doesn't even know that she's being nice to me.' He thought to himself. The idea made him smile and a soft snicker escaped his lips.

Nami turned to him and cocked an eyebrow. "What what's so funny, Captain?" She used the word 'captain' in such a way that it might have been mistaken for an insult if not heard properly.

"Nothing!" He smiled broadly back at her. Then Nami did something that she normally wouldn't have done. Instead of yelling at him in some accusation, she did something she usually reserved for special, life-or-death situations. She pouted. Damn, she looked cute when she did that.

"It's a secret." He stage whispered toward her. His unnatural response matched her prior reaction. Nami's brow further arched, but his attempted 'sneaky expression' made her giggle rather than act more surprised by his response.

This wasn't so bad. She could enjoy her time with him when he wasn't totally bouncing off the walls. It was then that she thought exactly why she was in this position. "Well Luffy, you've kidnapped me from the rest of the crew for a 'date', so, where to, _Captain_?" she smirked at him.

"Erm…well…" she looked at the muttering boy with mild amusement. "Actually, I didn't plan this far. I thought you would have ran away by now or beat me till' I couldn't move!" He laughed as Nami struggled to control fulfilling his latter prophesy. "I've never actually been on a 'date' before." He added as an after thought, scratching at an irritatingly dry spot on his neck.

Well, it was a 'date', so how bout' some quality 'bonding' time? Nami smiled slyly. "Ok Luffy, I have an idea." Luffy looked at her, intently awaiting her response. "We'll do what I like to do when I'm in town."

"What's that?" He asked innocently enough.

Her smile widened. "Shopping!" Nami grabbed his hand and began dragging him toward the crowded square.

And thus, the limits of Luffy's use as a pack mule and coat rack were to be tested.

-WakaWakaWakaWakaWakaWakaWakaWakaWakaWakaWakaWaka…-

O.O No-way, It's PacMan! (My Hero!)

Well, this is what I get for being an insomniac. I get home directly from school, were I had been living off a bag of raw coffee beans to keep me awake through the day seeing as I obtained no sleep last night. As soon I got home, I decided to try a nap. So I fell asleep at around 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. I awake later to find that it was 10:00-ish (little later). So with nothing better to do and no one awake, here's an update!

Sorry nothing really happened in this chapter, I have something planned for the next chapter, though! (roughly) Suggestions? Comments? Questions? Random facts? Love to here em'!


End file.
